The respect-paying service for the former official will be organised from 8am to 1:30pm at the National Funeral Hall at No.5 Tran Thanh Tong street, Hanoi. The burial service will take place at 3pm in the capital’s Mai Dich Cemetery.

Vu Khoan passed away after a period of illness at 7:05am on June 21 at the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, according to the Central Committee on Health Care for Senior Governmental Officials.

He was born on October 7, 1937 in Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi. On December 19, 1961, he became a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

He was a member of the Party Central Committee in the 7th, 8th, and 9th tenures, Secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 9th term, deputy of the National Assembly in the 11th tenure, and Deputy Prime Minister from August 2002 to June 2006.

During his political career, he also held various positions, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (1990-2000), and Minister of Trade (2000-2002). He retired in 2008.

Vu Khoan was honoured with many noble titles by the Vietnamese Party, State and Government, including the first-class Independence Order and the 60-year Party Membership Badge./. VNA